BILTMORE HOTEL

Biltmore Hotel
1200 Anastasia Ave., Coral Gables
(800) 727-1926 or (305) 445-1926

Rates start at $229 during the low season (7/1-11/30).
 
Checkout time is noon.

Since 1926, the ornately carved 16-story tower of this luxury hotel has  dominated the skyline of Coral Gables, one of Miami’s friendliest  residential areas. The majestic tower is a replica of the Giralda Tower in the Cathedral of Seville, Spain. This jewel of a hotel is filled with the  exquisite craftsmanship found in deluxe hotels of Old World Europe. 

All 280 guest rooms and suites have European feather beds, new sofas, easy chairs, artwork, and plants. The 35 suites (executive, bridal, and golf suites) feature separate living rooms and private balconies. Taking up the entire 13^th floor of the tower is the prestigious Everglades Suite, with hand-painted high domed ceilings depicting scenes from the Everglades.

Elegantly furnished public areas of this National Historic Landmark are also graced with hand-painted ceilings.  Business travelers will find all the amenities they need. Rooms have modem links and some rooms have fax machines. There is also a business center on the premises.

Here, exercise and recreation are covered, too. The Biltmore’s crystalline 22,000-square-foot pool, which in earlier days featured Esther Williams in aquatic shows, is the largest hotel swimming pool in the Continental U.S.  The hotel boasts an 18-hole championship golf course and 10 Har-tru lighted  tennis courts. A 15,000-square-foot computerized fitness center has all the equipment you could want, plus a full-service spa and beauty salon.

The best in French cooking can be found at the Biltmore. Each month a Michelin-rated chef from France drops by the La Palme d’Or, the hotel’s 110-seat French restaurant, to whip up signature dishes. Guests can participate in an interactive culinary demonstration and lunch by the featured guest chef.

A cigar shop in the lower lobby carries a wide variety of premium cigars, hand-crafted humidors, and ornate cutters. On Friday nights the hotel hosts a Cigars Under the Stars dinner in the tropical Courtyard Restaurant, where guests dine al fresco and are presented with premium cigars hand-rolled by an authentic cigar roller. Tuesday nights in the outdoor restaurant are reserved for the opera.